Category: Tech

Review – The Plantronics Voyager 3240. #Plantronics #Voyager3240 #Tech

Plantronics is a Brand Synonymous with call centres throughout the world in small office and reception areas and those that use telecoms equipment. The Plantronics Voyager 3240 is geared towards the office user rather than the full-time receptionist allowing connection to a variety of phones/laptops and telecoms equipment with an abundant of voice prompts to ensure clarity. This is suitable for those on the go in a busy environment, drivers, office staff that have to make/received allot of calls and require handsfree,

The unit comes with only 1 headset which allows you to be aware of your surroundings, most of us will be aware of people with 2 earphones shouting on a call unaware a full office can hear them unaware of their surroundings.

 

Main features

  • In-ear design provides a wearing style that’s easy to put on or take off
  • Precision tuned triple-mic with enhanced DSP delivers superior noise cancellation
  • Smart sensors answer calls by simply putting on the headset
  • Dynamic mute alert senses and alerts you when you begin to speak while muted
  • Up to 98 feet/30 meters of wireless range from supported Class 1 Bluetooth devices
  • Portable charging case provides up to 10 hours of additional talk time

 

Specifications:

  •         Listen/talk time Up to 6 hours plus up to 10 extra hours with charging case
  •         (available in select bundles); up to 7 days standby time
  •         Range Up to 98 feet (30 meters) with Class 1 Bluetooth enabled device
  •         Audio performance Triple-mic DSP noise-cancelling technology, mobile wideband
  •         compatibility up to 6,800 Hz; echo cancellation, proprietary DSP,
  •         A2DP, mobile wideband compatibility (HD Voice-enabled)
  •         Hearing protection SoundGuard®: Sound leveling for listening comfort and acoustic
  •         limiting for protection against sounds above 118 dBA
  •         Headset controls Call answer/ignore/end/redial, mute, volume +/-, smartphone
  •         VPA access, power on/off
  •         Weight 9 g/0.019 lbs
  •         Wireless frequency Bluetooth v4.1
  •         Smart sensors answer calls by simply putting on the headset. Automatically
  •         transfer calls between mobile phone and headset based on
  •         wearing state (enabled using Plantronics Hub mobile app)
  •         Multipoint technology Stay connected to two phones and answer calls from either one
  •         Streams audio Stream music, driving directions, podcasts, and more with
  •         Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
  •         Voice alerts Enhanced voice alerts announce talk-time, mute, connection
  •         status, and more
  •         Firmware Update firmware and change language settings using Plantronics
  •         Hub for iOS/Android

 Connection:

The connection is standard to most phones using the Bluetooth option to your phone/laptop with no issues found. The NFC option works easier and faster.

Charging:

The unit comes with a micro USB cable which is disappointing in terms on modern phones for the last number of years have migrated to USB C resulting in another cable to be carried around, it takes approx. 90 minutes to fully charge the headset.  The status of the charging can be seen/heard via voice prompt/headset LEDs / phone app,

 Charge case:

The charging ( open style ) case does as it states, charges the headset but as a design having the charging connection on the bottom leaves it prone to liquid ingress when placed on a wet surface, the case gives minimum protection when carried from place to place, ( whereas the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 5100 True Wireless Bluetooth Headset, aimed at music lovers case is ideal offering protection and charges the headset )  the belt type clip again leaves allot to be desired with little practical use. The charging case gives 10 additional hours on a single charge, giving you up to 16 hours of combined talk time between a fully charged headset and charging case.

 

 The app – Plantronics Hub

The Plantronics Hub has a variety of useful features but again is different to the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 5100 Blackbeat app. The manufactures appear to have 2 completely different designs and technology which would be great to have one standardised one. The app gives a clear view of the battery time left, allow you to locate a misplaced headset, customise calls, mute calls, auto-answer, headset sensors and a variety of other features to personalise your experience. This also has a reset option in case a mistake is made during setup. The app has got 4.3 out of 5 on the play store out of near 30,000 downloads which is good, the app worked as required and can’t fault.

 Voice alerts:

The unit has a variety of useful voice alerts

Voice alerts list

Following is a list of common voice alerts. You can use Plantronics Hub to customise some of

these alerts. Download Plantronics Hub at plantronics.com/software

  • “Answering call”
  • “Battery low”
  • “Redialling last outgoing call”
  • “Incoming call”
  • “Mute on/mute off”
  • “No phone is connected”
  • “Pairing”
  • “Pairing incomplete, restart headset”
  • “Pairing successful”
  • “Power on/off”
  • “Phone X connected/disconnected” (my personal favourite feature)
  • “Recharge headset”
  • “Smart sensors on/off”
  • “Battery high”
  • “Volume maximum/minimum”

 

Call quality:

The Plantronics Voyager 3240 as expected has excellent call quality, quoting noise-cancelling technology which is far superior to most headset tested in the last year.  This does not mask out all sound from the call as on tests walking close to a radio / TV, the caller can hear the sounds albeit lower than many other brands. When used to listen to Spotify / Google play music. / Amazon music quality is average been distracted with 1 earpiece and the highs and lows not as pronounced, again this is not designed for recreational music listening but will work perfectly on your voice frequencies.

 

Conclusion:

Plantronics is a great brand with quality products, with my favourites being able to connect numerous phones/laptops at the same time, and able to make or receive a call from any device. This is a feature not seen on many earphones. This Bluetooth multipoint technology enables you to pair and connect your headset to two different Bluetooth audio devices at once with audio prompts to advise what is connected.  The brand as an office technology has a compatibility guide which you expect to ensure if the connection to a specialised device the guesswork is taken out of the interface connection, this may include Desk phone, Softphone, Mobile Bluetooth, Mobile corded Gaming and Landline.

The headset when sitting on a desk can easily be seen to connect to a phone when lifted to your ear but states not connected ensuring when you decide to take a call you can use the headset or traditional holding your head to the phone. Over the years I have had numerous earphones connected via Bluetooth only to find the audio was via the earphone, not the phones when required.

Overall the unit is a lightweight, solid build, comfortable to wear for hours,  and allows you to be aware of your surroundings with superior call quality. There are a few niggles in the charger style given limited protection and micro USB charger while minor in the overall scheme.  The multipoint technology allowing multiple units connected at the same time is a must for those that carry 2 phones or take skype/teams calls from laptops etc.  The Plantronics Voyager 3240 has an abundance of features and personalise options in the app given a great experience overall.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantronics-3240-Mono-Bluetooth%C2%AE-Portable-Charging-Voyager-3240/dp/B072KH8F9L/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2DUURS77EA6EJ&keywords=plantronics+voyager+3240&qid=1581770535&sprefix=Plantronics+Voyager+3240%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-4

Noel O’Grady, Rewriting the rulebook: Learnings from how the data centre industry has reacted to COVID-19

Noel O’Grady, Director of Irish operations at business risk and resilience consultancy Sungard AS.

The data centre industry is arguably facing its largest ever crisis with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In-house teams have had to quickly build out their ability to support remote workers on a scale never seen before. Commercial providers have had to tighten access to facilities globally, decide which staff are essential to keep onsite, and reach for their pandemic contingency plans – if these even existed. 

Elsewhere, data centre managers have had to embark on mass disinfection of premises and assess access following both staff and visitors testing positive for the virus. 

The last few months have been a huge learning curve for many, and here are three key lessons we have learned.

Noel O’Grady, Sungard Availability Services
Photo Iain White / Fennell Photography

 

Lesson 1: Be prepared to scale quickly for remote working demands

As our worlds of work and play shifted from office blocks and business parks to living rooms and kitchen tables across the globe, society has been highly dependent on internet services and supporting equipment working as expected.  

 

Infrastructure teams with responsibility for making sure organisations and consumers stay online have worked hard to expand network bandwidth and computing muscle in data centres. The most frequent bottleneck created in many cases has stemmed from the overnight enablement of vast remote workforces. Many company networks simply weren’t set up to meet demand at such scale. 

 

Organisations need to provide staff with private, secure corporate network access from home. VPN capacity has had to ramp up and conversations about readying the infrastructure to support it have had to happen quickly. Companies must now prepare to ensure employees can access a company network from their own machines at home too – there will have been many cases where people hadn’t taken work equipment home with them, and IT were unable to access buildings to get it to them.  

Technical understanding of the expanded capacity to support remote application access became a boardroom issue overnight as well. This will only be a good thing for companies moving forward. Senior executives will have no choice to overlook infrastructure. They will have to understand and monitor it like never before. 

Lesson 2: Pre-define ‘essential’ staff

Evaluation of who was ‘essential’ was another thing organisations had to determine quickly, and this expanded to the data centre industry. Essential workers had to be divided up. Some kept onsite and others sent home to become reserves. There had to be no risk of cross-contamination between them.  

Some senior-level facility and site managers were asked to work from home as well, as they possessed knowledge and experience covering multiple types of lower-level employees, such as line engineers, technicians and operations staff. 

The outcome of this crisis will be that data centre organisations should now formally plan and document who is essential to keep onsite during such a state of emergency, and who are the backups that should remain at home. This should be clearly communicated at regular intervals, with tests run to confirm the process works as expected.

 

Lesson 3: Disinfect premises post-positive infection reports and have strict access rules

There have been some international reports of staff and visitors who have set foot in data centres testing positive for COVID-19 at a later date. In response, the affected facilities have had to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by a specialist cleaning contractor. Data centre operators will now have to be crystal clear about the measures they will take in the event of such an incident and what they will do if a member of staff or a visitor falls ill whilst onsite. 

In order to maintain effective social distancing, some facilities have made all non-essential staff work from home on a mandatory basis. Clients are also being actively discouraged from visiting and encouraged to use engineers to complete physical tasks wherever possible. 

All deliveries and visitors should be handled by isolated security staff following very specific guidelines. Employee health has to remain the priority and having these measures in place requires a high level of adaptability on behalf of workers, so the businesses and the industry as a whole needs to be very clear.

If a data centre facility does have to be evacuated temporarily, whether it can stay online without staffing depends very much on its design, and is something that must be accounted for in planning and operations. Those with a low level of redundancy face obvious risks if left unmanned.

Rewriting the rule book

Data centre operators around the world have been forced to make big adjustments in light of COVID-19, with some of the areas mentioned above likely to become a necessary standard post-crisis. 

Historically, most business continuity plans for data centres were based on local scenarios, where ‘acts of God’ wreaked havoc on one place. Rarely had many considered that one place being the entire planet. 

 

This pandemic has shown us the speed of disease spread and highlighted the importance of a quick response. For the most part, data centres across the world are still functional, with our increasingly digital infrastructure showing a considerable level of resilience. However, it remains to be seen which contingencies will become the new norm and which won’t result in any permanent changes. 

Sony announces the WF-SP800N and WF-XB700 true wireless earbuds. #Sony #TrueWireless

Sony has just announced the WF-SP800N truly wireless headphones – providing the perfect hassle-free headphones to keep up with an active lifestyle. Sony also recently announced the WF-XB700 further strengthening its truly wireless line up.

 

Say yes to music and no to sweat with WF-SP800N

Designed for an active lifestyle with an IP55 rating that means splashes, sweat and dust won’t stop these water-resistant headphones or your workout. You can even wash them after a tough training session.

The soft-cushioned arc supporter and three-dimensional curved design ensure a secure, comfortable fit. Whether you’re running for a train or on the treadmill, these headphones won’t move.

Plus, you won’t be slowed down with limited battery power. The compact charging case not only protects your WF-SP800N, it also lets you power up on the go. Holding a single further full charge, the case lets you enjoy up to 18 hours of music playback with noise cancelling switched on and up to 26 hours without]. If you’re in a hurry, 10 minutes quick charging gives you up to 60 minutes of music playback. Thanks to a Bluetooth chip borrowed from the award-winning WF-1000XM3 truly wireless headphones coupled with an optimised antenna design, the earphones ensure a stable connection with outstanding listening.

 

Boost the beat

The WF-SP800N features the latest noise cancelling technology to block out distractions like the sounds of the street or those in the gym, so it’s just you and the beat.

Focus on the beat of your music to help enhance your performance with EXTRA BASS™ and let the headphones deliver powerful, punchy, low-end sound, giving you the drive to power through your work or workout. With the free of charge “Sony | Headphones Connect” companion app, you can customise your sound experience to your desired taste. The equalizer feature on the app enables you to customise the sound level to suit your music and activities. Whether creating a relaxed listening experiences on your commute to work or boosting bass to power your workout, the possibilities are endless.

The WF-SP800N let you enjoy 360 Reality Audio, an immersive audio experience utilising object-based spatial audio technology when combined with an Android™ smartphone/iPhone that has a participating streaming services app installed[3]. The 360 Reality Audio listening experience immerses you in the music as if you are right in front of your favourite artist. Listeners can enjoy a custom immersive musical field that is perfectly optimised for each individual user when the WF-SP800N headphones and the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app[4].

 

Smart listening

Ambient Sound Mode on the WF-SP800N lets you control the sounds that you want to let in. You can also customise the ambient sound settings to your preference using the “Sony | Headphones Connect” companion app from level 0 to level 20.

The WF-SP800N now also features Advanced Adaptive Sound Control that automatically detects what you’re doing and where you are then adjusts ambient sound settings to suit your environment. You can even customise the settings as you wish using the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app. Let in ambient sound while you’re running outside, reduce unwanted noise when you’re in the office and boost your bass in the gym.

 

Control at your fingertips

Smart control technology enables you to play, stop or skip through your music and adjust the volume by simply placing your finger over the right earbud. Turn down the music to hear around you by placing your finger on the left earbud. The quick attention feature turns the volume right down and lets in the ambient sound. Instantly chat with someone without removing your earbuds.

Be smarter and manage your day with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Enjoy entertainment, connect with friends, get information, listen to music and notifications, set reminders and more.

Never miss a beat with the headphones thanks to wearing detection, which automatically detects when you take the earbuds out. Pause your music instantly when you take one of the earbuds out and the music will automatically resume when you place the earbud back in again.

Select your preferred listening style when taking a hands-free call or listening to your music. Enjoy music and have fun talking with stereo sound on both earbuds or choose to use one earbud, even when the others are on charge.

Life with EXTRA BASSTM

Sony also introduced the truly wireless WF-XB700 headphones. With Sony’s EXTRA BASS™ technology, these headphones create precise, punchy rhythms that lift every track and maintain vocal clarity for a wonderfully rich, well-rounded listening experience.

BLUETOOTH® wireless technology removes the need for wired connections for ease of use while the Ergonomic Tri-hold structure creates a comfortable fit. Enjoy up to 18 hours of listening thanks to the handy charging case and, if you’re in a hurry, 10 minutes quick charging gives you up to 60 minutes of music playback.

An IPX4 rating and water resistance means protection against splashes and sweat, so you can keep moving to the music in the rain or at the gym.

 

The WF-SP800N model will be priced at approximately £150 and €220 for IE and available from July 2020 in black, white and blue.

The WF-XB700 model are priced at approximately £130 and €160 for IE and available now across Europe in black and blue.

For further information on 360 Reality Audio, visit http://www.music.com/360RA

Most Popular Holiday Backgrounds On Zoom Revealed. #Zoom #Tech

With the effect of coronavirus meaning that holiday plans have had to be postponed, a lot of us are missing the ability to explore the world.

It’s perhaps unsurprising then that many people are using video calls as an opportunity to virtually travel, with holiday-style Zoom backgrounds seeing a huge 9,900% increase in searches according to Google Trends data.

Noticing the increase in demand, and anecdotally hearing of people using their destination imagery as video call backgrounds, luxury travel company Kuoni has released a select set of images and video to be used as Zoom backgrounds.

Kuoni has made 14 backgrounds available, 12 images and two dynamic videos, that reflect some of their most popular destinations. From Bangkok cityscapes to crystal-clear Caribbean waters, the collection offers a range of amazing travel landscapes.

James Nye from Kuoni comments: “Just a few days into lockdown we started to hear about people using our destination images as backgrounds to their video calls, to at least momentarily transport them to somewhere else in the world. Coupled with the increase in online searches for travel-inspired video call backgrounds, we wanted to release a collection that hopefully gives people a slice of their dream holiday whilst they’re at home. The collection includes some of our most popular destinations and we hope the range of landscapes means you can switch up the backgrounds depending on where you want your wanderlust to take you.”

Destination Zoom backgrounds have seen a spike in popularity

 

Kuoni also delved into the search data to discover which destinations and landscapes are currently seeing the largest surge in popularity for virtual backgrounds. With its beautiful beaches and sparkling waters, it may come as no surprise that the Caribbean is the most popular Zoom background right now – seeing a whopping 9,900% increase in searches. The data shows that long-haul destinations are the favourites, with just Sweden making it into the top five from Europe.

Most Popular Zoom Background Destinations

  1. Caribbean +9,900%
  2. =Australia +9,800%
  1. =Maldives +9,800%
  2. =Vietnam +9,700%
  1. =New Zealand +9,700%
  1. =Sweden +9,700%
  2. Philippines +8,800%
  3. =Canada +8,500%
  1. =Brazil +8,500%
  2. USA +8,100%
  3. Ireland +7,200%
  4. India +6,500%
  5. Portugal +5,000%
  6. Spain +4,900%

When looking at holiday types, such as dramatic mountain scenes or serene waterfalls, it’s safari backdrops that are currently the most popular followed by mountain views and cityscapes.

Most Popular Zoom Background Landscapes

  1. Safari +9,900%
  2. Mountain +9,800%
  3. Cityscape +8,100%
  4. Beach +7,800%
  5. Waterfall +6,600%
  6. Sea +6,400%
  7. Rainforest +5,000%
  8. Field +4,000%
  9. Desert +3,200%
  10. Lake +1,500%

To download all the backgrounds and for further information visit: https://www.kuoni.co.uk/travel-zoom-backgrounds

The (real) benefits of Windows 10 for small business. #Windows10 #Business

Perhaps the most remarkable achievement Microsoft has pulled off over the last decade has been making Windows far more user friendly. While cliché to say, it’s nevertheless a distilled report of UX from users. From its beginnings as a tech geek, relatively cool product that – at times – frustrated non-technical folk, Microsoft has clearly listened to consumers over the years. Today, Windows 10 epitomises the marriage of its technical ability with a far more intuitive end user experience.

Microsoft has dominated the working world for years, and for good reason. Even early critics of Windows struggled to find the kind of apps Microsoft had already made mainstream 30 years ago. Not only does Microsoft Office suite remain streets ahead of competition in enabling businesses big and small, but Microsoft’s enterprise-grade Server products have enabled network access and management for thousands of large corporations. Both user security and efficiency have driven Microsoft’s overall suite development in the new millennium.

A heads up for everyone still running Windows XP or 7: those Windows versions are unsupported now, which means no security patches or upgrades of any kind are in your future. Unfortunately for you, that means high vulnerability and low security for your PC. Windows 8 was an unpopular option for many, as it followed a touchscreen design layout; in particular, business users weren’t ready to abandon their familiarity with previous versions. Which brings us to Windows 10, and some good news – it’s the best Windows ever. 

Here’s why.

The benefits of Windows 10 for small business are many

Loyalties and bias aside, excerpts from a top IT concern in London covering What Are the Benefits of Windows 10 for Small Business? will win over many former critics. As a testament to Microsoft’s ability to respond to the market, they’re focus is on user experience, mobile access and the right box of tools.

 

  • Updates are (almost) pleasant now

 

Faced with competitors of various hues that included upgrades as a part of ‘maintenance’ at no charge, Microsoft has adopted a ‘software as a service’ (SaaS) approach, too. Facing the loss of consumer appetite for paid upgrades, Microsoft has reinvented its approach in line with such expectations. While small business users had to opt in and install Windows 10 when it arrived, future upgrades will roll out seamlessly in the background. In other words, they’ve taken the roundabout way of installing an OS and automated it. 

A tiny tweak perhaps, but with huge implications for UX. Buying an installation disc or being billed for an online upgrade is over, too. The standard offering will be free, while users who employ more extensive versions or apps within Windows will pay per use.

 

  • Security is state of the art

 

Enterprise now has a clear legal responsibility in terms of GDPR. Personal data is regulated, and the onus on business to both safeguard against and react towards its illicit dissemination is clear, with punitive measures against those who are negligent in looking after users’ or clients’ data.

Today, it’s surprisingly best not to supplement the Windows Defender suite of programs with other antivirus apps. Windows’ in-house security is tight, performs alongside the best, and makes extrapolation of security measures a cinch when needed. In other words, having Windows Defender up and running as it should be on the OS covers business in terms of its liabilities concerning personal data. It makes small business compliant, identifies and secures individual app access, and can limit files that apps can access. 

Enterprise users can expect to be forewarned of illicit activity around access, and Bitlocker makes encryption a standard possibility for business now – not just James Bond.

 

  • Multiple device commonality

 

Sticking with user-driven common sense, the Windows 10 OS runs on desktops, laptops and tablets. It presents as a familiar face, with the design reminiscent of the older Windows the whole world became accustomed to over the initial years of use. That might seem unimpressive, but for working personnel, it’s the difference between feeling confident (in presentations or other participation where data needs to be shared) or feeling technically challenged.

As cloud computing becomes the norm, Microsoft’s OneDrive allows users to access data whenever and wherever. Being able to consistently access data easily between devices is now so commonplace that it might be overlooked as a new feature, but significant hard work went into making that possible.

 

  • Toggling devices and operating times

 

In an emerging gig economy, many people take work home and work at all hours of the day and night. The ability (continuity) to do so is, again, something we all simply expect as a default; but that, too, is a new feature with Windows 10.

Transitioning effortlessly between devices while drawing files down from OneDrive makes working access simple, anytime. The Timeline feature enables a linear work route too, as scrolling back through chronologically listed file access makes locating specific information easy. Likewise, using the Files On-Demand OneDrive feature allows users fast access without relying on a slower local drive.

 

  • Identity management

 

Apart from BitLocker, Windows Hello assimilates biometric data on users to grant access to files. Users typically encounter a two-factor authentication process that adds further security to business dealings. This might seem banal, but the reality is all these tweaks and touches have been modelled on user expectations and preferences, as well as the logic of easy, secure computing. Microsoft has become adept at imagining the experience of daily users, and designed Windows 10 in accordance with that.

Assorted local and networked resources can be accessed by identified individuals or groups. Managing access across a staff contingent, freelancers and clients has become a push-button process, as opposed to someone having to physically dole out and collect documents, or otherwise police company data. Office 365 Business and Enterprise users can also employ Azure Active Directory accounts to the same end.

 

  • Flexibility to scale

 

Offering users software subscriptions has changed Microsoft product licensing to the benefit of users. Utilising a per month or per user billing model has made Windows significantly more scalable – and pleasurable to use – because of it. 

Should a small business need to add new staff, whether freelance or otherwise, per user costs can be defined based on deliverables for any project. Decreasing the number of users is now a simple matter, whereas before customers were ‘locked in’ to Windows for a term. 

Upfront costs have disappeared, and business accounting departments across the globe are loving the predictability of a per user structure, too. Any small business paying for Windows products can be assured that they are utilising the same platform expertise as any large corporation elsewhere. The inbuilt universality of Windows 10 means top drawer service and security to all subscribers – a nice touch by Microsoft towards a level commercial playing field.

 

  • An assistant called Cortana

 

Cortana is Microsoft’s response to Alexa and Siri – an interactive voice command feature, with personality! Having had the benefit of watching assistants like Siri roll out and noting where they stumbled, Microsoft’s Cortana has started out at a higher level. She’s almost a personality (she has opinions on general life, too) and definitely an aide that will become indispensable once a user starts using the feature.

Cortana is simple to use but not simplistic in abilities, and pleasingly responsive and intuitive. Full of a host of time-saver tweaks once engaged, Cortana is a genuine efficiency boost in a busy digital world.

Microsoft products work very well together

Another major perk of Windows 10 is it’s the most enabling platform for any of the other Microsoft business suite products. Truly an undiscovered benefit until a company runs Office 365 or Microsoft Server, it’s often in expansion that a business realises what a hassle-free, empowering platform Windows 10 is. Microsoft Business Suite products are optimised on the Windows 10 OS in a manner that simply doesn’t happen any other way.

Windows 10 is a feel-good Windows version, and a smart response to user issues over the years. Microsoft has responded well – even critics grudgingly agree that many of their complaints are now addressed with this version of Windows. Security is still benchmark, upgrades are no longer a looming hassle, and the access and identity management of Windows 10 makes for pleasurable working. Any small business would be hard pressed to better enable business processes, resident and remote staff, as well as the overall demands of daily business without it.

Irish millennials lead the swing towards cashless payments. #Payments #Cashless

The Irish are – per capita – leading the globe towards a cashless system. Unfortunately for us, this might not be a good thing. 

Irish business and consumers alike are more cashless than ever thanks to the latter’s expectations of commerce. The fact is cash is diminishing as a payment method globally, and indeed Ireland might just be the number one nation employing digital payments within the next few years. By all credible accounts, Sweden currently carries the title of the world’s most cashless society based on GDP, but adoption in Ireland is continuing apace. 

When it comes to future predictions of which nation will emerge as the one most at home with cashless payments, uptake rates and practical application are key, and Ireland is at the forefront. This has produced some interesting (and challenging) scenarios for business at large, and there’s a palpable perception that so-called ‘old school’ business practices – especially in retail – are going to lose or are already losing customers if they’re not implementing digital payment methods.

Cashless convenience is a ‘sidegrade’ for Irish business

Rather than a downgrade (losing tech, capacity or the ability to service clients) or an upgrade (spending extensively on rebuilding customer management systems from scratch), going cashless for Irish businesses is a ‘sidegrade.’ In other words, the ‘problem’ of going cashless in business is a nice problem to solve. For those businesses taking the plunge, it’s relatively easy to effect and a continuous joy to use thereafter. After all, it implies doing less – no cash box, drop safe, or banking of cash; and it removes the prospect of being swindled with counterfeit or robbed when carrying cash.

Oddly enough, it’s often very large and very small businesses that still need to enact a cashless option. Furthermore, specific sectors or industries tend to lean towards cashless payments or, on the other hand, lag in their implementation. Retail is the most seamless in application, being the coalface for interaction with consumers. That said, B2B transactions often quickly adopt modern consumer conveniences, too. As any IT company in London, Dublin, or New York can attest, implementing systems to render cashless transactions is a regular and growing component of their daily work. For example, UK cash payments have dipped from above 60 percent in the noughties to around 40 percent today. If this trend continues, only around 20 percent of payments will be cash in the country by 2030. Ireland might race ahead a little, being predominantly cashless within five years.

Are there really advantages for a cashless business?

The short answer is yes. 

Whatever the reasons driving cashless transacting – if you offer it, you’re not alienating potential clients. As cashless payments become increasingly commonplace, any business (especially those dealing with consumers) will want to offer the facility of doing so to avoid losing sales. With online shopping being the flagship that’s driving expectations around purchases, consumers are used to super-fast and hassle-free buying.

Adding cashless payment options provides needed and good diversity, rather than the typical ‘fluff’ businesses often add on to themselves when jostling in the marketplace. It’s easy to see how in the next decade or two, every retailer – from the local newsstand to SuperValu – will likely offer all payment options possible, and this will become the norm and standard expectation. Remember when online shopping was a dangerously unfamiliar arena and involved waiting up to three weeks for delivery? Commerce has been working furiously to narrow that gap, and has done so fairly successfully by (partly) driving the swing to cashless transacting. 

Amazon might be the epitome, launching a drone to ship goods speedily, but they’re nothing if not indicative of the consumer service ethic that’s pushing businesses all over the globe. That push seems symbiotic with being cashless and helps to inform it. Some obvious commercial beneficiaries of a cashless economy would be restaurants and those in hospitality who no longer need to keep cash on the premises late at night. Any business with a busy supply chain needed to produce its product or service could win back several hours in their day, too, and all businesses that see large volume will see their insurance premiums dip if there’s no cash on premises.

The significant benefit to all business is that mobile, digital payment potentially provides plenty of customer data to use at your discretion (within GDPR guidelines, of course). Not only will it deliver what payment option they prefer, but what they bought, how often they’re in-store, what they’re buying and how much their overall spend is. That’s meaty intel for any marketer, and will go towards refining presentation and ultimately the consumer experience. As a wholly immersed generation carries their digital acumen into their daily lives, more businesses will need to offer cashless options in order to serve the majority coming through the doors.

First look and unboxing. The Groov-e ZEN Wireless headphones with ANC. #Headphones #Tech

A new pair of cans have arrived and this time from Groov-e who make great tech affordable and having test most of their products I can stand by them easily with the feature set you get for the money you pay in comparison to more expensive brands.

The Zen wireless headphones are ideal for those who want an affordable headset packed with all the latest technology. Active Noise Cancelling reduces unwanted ambient sound to provide an immersive listening experience whilst 40mm drivers handle heavy beats well and can reproduce a full range of frequencies so music can be heard as it was intended. Featuring premium, soft foam earpads the Zen headphones also ensure a comfortable listening experience at all times. If you have any questions in the interim as always feel free to ask.

The Groov-e Zen Wireless Headphones are £54.99 available now from www.groov-e.co.uk.

ACTAFUN launches virtual activities during COVID lockdown in Ireland and more. #ACTAFUN #VirtualActivities

It’s been weeks since we’ve all been stuck at home, some working from home, some have taken exercise to another level while others are binge-watching everything and anything. We are in need of human connection more than ever and we are in need of experiences, “Unforgettable experiences” to be exact. Why ?..because we are social beings, so the need for doing new things, experimenting and creating unforgettable memories with the people that we love and care about is in our nature. 

 

Unfortunately, activities (indoor and outdoor), meetups, travelling, and other basic human necessities have been temporarily taken away from all of us when COVID-19 began. Knowing the impact of this lockdown and self-quarantine phase on people’s psyche and their need to be social and bond with others, the activities booking platform  “ActaFun.com” had a pivot to align with our sudden reality and quickly launched virtual activities, providing us with unique experiences. 

 

What do we mean by virtual activities? – these are activities that users can do from the comfort of their homes while respecting the social distance safety guidelines. 

Online Jiujitsu and Self-defence classes by Jaqueline Almeida, every Wednesday (6:30 pm) and Saturday (11 am). This class will teach you useful self-defence and escape techniques improve your muscle memory and to protect you when in a difficult situations  https://actafun.com/activity-details/287 

Are you a coffee lover that is missing their favourite coffee spot during this quarantine period? We have top quality home brewing coffee classes By Matt Coade – The Best seller Cafe’s head barista https://actafun.com/activity-details/279

Dance, tone up, burn calories and learn some amazing moves for your post quarantine nights out with AfroDance provided by Kareen SK from the Caribbean islands (Dominica/ Guadeloupe). https://actafun.com/activity-details/289

Dave O’Dwyer will be hosting his famous laughter Yoga classes. Besides being easy to do, laughter yoga can help to reduce stress, encourage a more positive outlook, and help you feel more refreshed and energetic, in other words, “its great crack” https://actafun.com/activity-details/284

The activities above have been the most popular ones, there’re are more free and paid online activities like juggling classes, Fitness classes available on Actafun.com 

 

All virtual activities are bookable internationally through ActaFun’s website (ACTAFUN.COM) and their App, with classes taking place on Zoom.  Now you can book an experience for you and your friends/family in Spain, Canada, Ghana, New Zealand or anywhere in the world (with Wifi access of course) and have a great laugh with them regardless of where you all are. Use the code “LetsHaveFun” to get 20% off any of their paid virtual activities in this article. 

 

If you have a unique skill or teach a class that you would like to host on ActaFun, send an email to their virtual project manager Andrew@actafun.com.  

How to create an effective business continuity plan. #Business #IT #CyberAttack #DisasterRecovery

Business continuity plans have come to mean instructions or procedures any business should follow in the face of a successful ransomware or other cyberattack. Although IT issues are often the most debilitating when it comes to getting things back to normal, ‘business continuity’ anticipates and includes responses to other disasters, like fire, flood and theft, too.

There are business processes, partners and suppliers, human capital, data and other assets to protect in the event of a disaster. While each dark episode in the life of a company will be unique in certain aspects, enterprise can avail itself of an essential toolkit – the business continuity plan – when things go wrong. Always variable and often unexpected, business calamities demand a strategy for the maintenance of business as usual, regardless of how unusual circumstances might be in the moment.

That strategy will optimise continuity and minimise negative implications, resulting in an overall minimisation of longer-term repercussions on business profitability. It’s often grisly and as often demanding of sudden decisions that are extraneous to the core plan, but the core plan is essential as a guidebook for the promptest and least stressful restoration of business, in order to maintain cash flow and overall profitability. Force majeure events (the Covid 19 lockdown is a classic example), physical destruction or damage to business premises, or a wholesale sacking of company data are all events capable of ending business for good. The stakes are high, and the fittest companies have a ready template of action for such dark moments.

Business continuity plans and Disaster Recovery (DR)

Disaster Recovery (DR) centres on restoring IT systems after a ransomware or other cyberattack. Often confused with a business continuity plan, DR protocols may well be the most important component of a business continuity plan, yet they remain but one component of an overall plan.

 

With that said, it’s common to modern enterprise that almost nothing can be resolved without IT in place and running smoothly, hence the need to develop a reliable business continuity plan template with IT support well ahead of time. Business continuity is absolutely essential to map out while it’s still completely unnecessary. On the plus side, IT architecture lends itself to backup and security, and with typical Irish zeal and prowess in the arena, a detailed and ultimately successful continuity plan with adept DR protocols can be effectively formulated ahead of any possible disaster.

IT considerations for a business continuity plan

  • Storage. Where and how is data stored? What are the alternatives on access and/or storage if that particular access door closes? A company needs to know exactly how it will access what data it needs to roll on without hiccupping in the event of a complete denial of access or loss (removal) of working data.

 

  • Who are the key personnel in making IT continuity happen, and what are their responsibilities? It might seem a stupid question, but do they then have the authority or clearance (with accompanying credentials) to act on their responsibilities? Disaster recovery is a moment of unusual trust and professional performance – everyone needs to understand that, be equipped, and up to the task.
  • In the event of hardware damage or loss, where are new machines coming from, what or how much is needed to tie them into current daily operations, and what aspects of the current IT system or systems might snag on replacements of this nature?

Some broader considerations for business continuity plans

  • Manufacturing, sales and deliveries or service provision, as well as HR considerations feature in any decent business recovery template. How will normal comms evolve (or dissolve) during recovery? Would majority remote work be best, or perhaps a secondary location should be established that ultimately costs less and facilitates more in the event of a calamity? What functions can be contracted out?

 

  • To answer all the above questions, a business impact analysis will have been tabled and tested for validity way ahead of genuine disaster striking a company. This analysis will identify the most crucial aspects to maintain business continuity. A business impact analysis acknowledges vulnerabilities and doubles down on safeguarding these, while also looking at cost implications on all aspects of the business – what it will cost to put in place and what it might cost when absent. Generally, the latter costs a whole lot more in a typical disaster scenario.

Testing, testing, one two three

Disaster Recovery may be well-sorted by IT support in the event of catastrophe, but any successful, comprehensive business continuity plan has to factor in what happens with people and processes, too. Quite remarkably, the way in which a company performs under such adversity can often enhance client relations and go towards an overall greater profitability in the future. If ever there was a test of a business’ professionalism and real caring, it’s what it does and how it handles its clients in the event of disaster.

Effective disaster management can elevate a company’s reputation and generate an immense amount of goodwill, too. Being prepared and making the best of getting back on track can increase any company’s listed market value, plus boost customer numbers and overall confidence.

Such effective behaviour must include testing. Testing of a mock wholesale collapse of systems, testing of alternative (disaster) protocols, and testing of everyone’s ability to keep the wheels turning in a trial scenario. It might seem silly when everything is going well – much like those school drills that practise fire alarm responses – but testing a business continuity plan is as essential as formulating it in the first place. Companies that discover gaps in their contingency plans while suffering catastrophe are unlikely to be around afterwards. Testing allows for improvements and the fine tuning of the continuity strategy details. 

The business impact assessment informs the drafting of the business continuity plan. That plan contains the DR component and goes on to address all aspects of the business. And it’s in the testing – regularly and repeatedly – that an enterprise will ready itself to survive even wholesale shutdowns or failures, and go on to a better future.